Molecular beam epitaxy of AlGaAs/Zn(Mn)Se hybrid nanostructures with InAs/AlGaAs quantum dots near the heterovalent interface

Features of the growth of InAs quantum dots in an Al_0.35Ga_0.65As matrix by molecular beam epitaxy at different substrate temperatures, deposition rates, and amounts of deposited InAs are studied. The optimum conditions for growing an array of low-density (≤2 × 10¹⁰ cm^?2) small (height of no more than 4 nm) self-organized quantum dots are determined. The possibility of the formation of optically active InAs quantum dots emitting in the energy range 1.3–1.4 eV at a distance of no more than 10 nm from the coherent heterovalent GaAs/ZnSe interface is demonstrated. It is established that inserting an optically inactive 5-nm GaAs quantum well resonantly coupled with InAs quantum dots into the upper AlGaAs barrier layer enhances the photoluminescence efficiency of the quantum-dot array in hybrid heterostructures.     

Coupling of electron states in the InAs/GaAs quantum dot molecule

Deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) is used to study electron emission from the states in the system of vertically correlated InAs quantum dots in the p-n InAs/GaAs heterostructures, in relation to the thickness of the GaAs spacer between the two layers of InAs quantum dots and to the reverse-bias voltage. It is established that, with the 100 Å GaAs spacer, the InAs/GaAs heterostructure manifests itself as a system of uncoupled quantum dots. The DLTS spectra of such structures exhibit two peaks that are defined by the ground state and the excited state of an individual quantum dot, with energy levels slightly shifted (by 1–2 eV), due to the Stark effect. For the InAs/GaAs heterostructure with two layers of InAs quantum dots separated by the 40 Å GaAs spacer, it is found that the quantum dots are in the molecule-type phase. Hybridization of the electron states of two closely located quantum dots results in the splitting of the levels into bonding and antibonding levels corresponding to the electron ground states and excited states of the 1s ⁺, 1s ^?, 2p ⁺, 2p ^?, and 3d ⁺ types. These states manifest themselves as five peaks in the DLTS spectra. For these quantum states, a large Stark shift of energy levels (10–40 meV) and crossing of the dependences of the energy on the electric field are observed. The structures with vertically correlated quantum dots are grown by molecular beam epitaxy, with self-assembling effects.     

Electron emission from multilayer ensembles of vertically coupled InAs quantum dots in an <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-GaAs matrix

Electron emission from multilayer arrays of vertically coupled InAs quantum dots into the n-GaAs matrix in Schottky-barrier structures (electron concentration n ≈ 2 × 10¹⁶ cm^?3) is studied by admittance spectroscopy. It is established that, in the temperature region below ～70 K, electron emission in a rate range of 3 × 10⁴–3 × 10⁶ s^?1 proceeds via thermally activated tunneling through intermediate virtual states. As the number of layers in the quantum dot array increases from three to ten, a decrease in the electron emission rate is observed.     

Study of the Structural and Luminescence Properties of InAs/GaAs Heterostructures with Bi-Doped Potential Barriers

The influence of Bi in GaAs barrier layers on the structural and optical properties of InAs/GaAs quantum-dot heterostructures is studied. By atomic-force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, it is established that the introduction of Bi into GaAs to a content of up to 5 at % results in a decrease in the density of InAs quantum dots from 1.58 × 10¹⁰ to 0.93 × 10¹⁰ cm^–2. The effect is defined by a decrease in the mismatch between the crystal-lattice parameters at the InAs/GaAsBi heterointerface. In this case, an increase in the height of InAs quantum dots is detected. This increase is apparently due to intensification of the surface diffusion of In during growth at the GaAsBi surface. Analysis of the luminescence properties shows that the doping of GaAs potential barriers with Bi is accompanied by a red shift of the emission peak related to InAs quantum dots and by a decrease in the width of this peak.     

The sandwich InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot structure for IR photoelectric detectors

A new possibility for growing InAs/GaAs quantum dot heterostructures for infrared photoelectric detectors by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy is discussed. The specific features of the technological process are the prolonged time of growth of quantum dots and the alternation of the low-and high-temperature modes of overgrowing the quantum dots with GaAs barrier layers. During overgrowth, large-sized quantum dots are partially dissolved, and the secondary InGaAs quantum well is formed of the material of the dissolved large islands. In this case, a sandwich structure is formed. In this structure, quantum dots are arranged between two thin layers with an increased content of indium, namely, between the wetting InAs layer and the secondary InGaAs layer. The height of the quantum dots depends on the thickness of the GaAs layer grown at a comparatively low temperature. The structures exhibit intraband photoconductivity at a wavelength around 4.5 μm at temperatures up to 200 K. At 90 K, the photosensitivity is 0.5 A/W, and the detectivity is 3 × 10⁹ cm Hz^1/2W^?1.     

Specific features of nanosize object formation in an InSb/InAs system by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy

InSb quantum dashes (up to 4 × 10⁹ cm^?2) and quantum dots (QDs) (7 × 10⁹ cm^?2) were produced on InAs (100) substrates by the standard method of metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy in the temperature range 420–440°C. A transformation of the shape and size of the quantum dashes is observed depending on the technological conditions of epitaxial deposition (quality of the matrix surface, growth temperature, flow rate, ratio between Group-V and -III elements in the gas phase, etc.). Control over the diffusion rate of reagents on the surface of the matrix based on an InAs epitaxial layer leads to a change in the transverse dimensions of the quantum dashes being deposited within the range 150–500 nm in length and 100–150 nm in width, respectively, with their height remaining at 50 nm. InSb QDs are grown on the surface of the InAs substrate at T = 440°C. A bimodal size distribution of the nano-objects is observed: there are small (average height 15 nm; average diameter 60 nm) and large (average height 25 nm; average diameter 110 nm) QDs.     

Anomalous spin splitting of electrons in type-II InSb quantum dots in InAs

Magnetooptical studies of heterostructures with type-II InSb quantum dots in the InAs matrix grown by molecular beam epitaxy are carried out. Unusual behavior of magnetophotoluminescence from quantum dots measured in the Faraday geometry in the samples with multiple planes of quantum dots is found. Specifically, the peak with σ^? polarization, which corresponds to transitions of electrons with s = +1/2, has a higher energy than the σ⁺ peak corresponding to s = ?1/2, which contradicts the negative value of the electron g factor both in the InAs matrix and in the InSb quantum dot. The effect can be interpreted as the result of competition of two channels of radiative recombination, which differ by the initial states of electrons belonging either to the InSb quantum dots or to shallow-level donors in the InAs matrix.     

Effect of multicomponent InAsSbP matrix surface on formation of InSb quantum dots at MOVPE growth

Indium-antimonide quantum dots (7–9 × 10⁹ cm²) are produced on an InAs(001) substrate by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy at a temperature of T = 440°C. Epitaxial deposition occurred simultaneously onto an InAs binary matrix and an InAsSbP quaternary alloy matrix layer lattice-matched to the InAs substrate in terms of the lattice parameter. Transformation of the quantum-dot shape and size is studied in relation to the chemical composition of the working matrix surface, onto which the quantum dots are deposited. The use of a multicomponent layer makes it possible to control the lattice parameter of the matrix and the strains produced in the system during the formation of self-assembled quantum dots.     

Maximum drift velocity of electrons in selectively doped InAlAs/InGaAs/InAlAs heterostructures with InAs inserts

The dependence of the electron mobility and drift velocity on the growth conditions, thickness, and doping of an InAs insert placed at the center of the quantum well in a selectively doped InAlAs/InGaAs/InAlAs heterostructure has been investigated. Record enhancement of the maximum drift velocity to (2–4) × 10⁷ cm/s in an electric field of 5 × 10³ V/cm has been obtained in a 17-nm-wide quantum well with an undoped 4-nm-thick InAs insert. In the structures with additional doping of the InAs insert, which facilitates an increase in the density of electrons in the quantum well to 4.0 × 10¹² cm^?2, the maximum drift velocity is as high as 2 × 10⁷ cm/s in an electric field of 7 × 10³ V/cm.     

Exchange enhancement of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">g</Emphasis> factor in InAs/AlSb heterostructures

The evolution of the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations in InAs/AlSb heterostructures with twodimensional electron gas in InAs quantum wells 12–18 nm wide with considerable variation in the electron concentration (3–8) × 10¹¹ cm^?2 due to the effect of negative persistent photoconductivity is studied. The values of the effective Landé factor for electrons g* = ?(15–35) are determined. It is shown that the value of the g* factor increases as the quantum well width increases.     

Ultra-low density InAs quantum dots

We show that InAs quantum dots (QDs) can be grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) with an ultralow density of sin 10⁷ cm^?2 without any preliminary or post-growth surface treatment. The strain-induced QD formation proceeds via the standard Stranski-Krastanow mechanism, where the InAs coverage is decreased to 1.3–1.5 monolayers (MLs). By using off-cut GaAs (100) substrates, we facilitate the island nucleation in this subcritical coverage range without any growth interruption. The QD density dependences on the InAs coverage are studied by photoluminescence, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and are well reproduced by the universal double exponential shapes. This method enables the fabrication of InAs QDs with controllable density in the range 10⁷–10⁸ cm^?2, exhibiting bright photoluminescence.     

Cyclotron resonance in doped and undoped InAs/AlSb heterostructures with quantum wells

Backward-wave tubes are used to study the spectra of cyclotron resonance in the range of 150–700 GHz in the AlSb/InAs/AlSb heterostructures with quantum wells and with an electron concentration in a two-dimensional electron gas ranging from 2.7 × 10¹¹ to 8 × 10¹² cm^?2 at 4.2 K. A significant increase in the cyclotron mass (from 0.03m₀ to 0.06m₀) is observed as the electron concentration (and, correspondingly, the Fermi energy) increases, which is typical of semiconductors with a nonparabolic dispersion relation. The results obtained are in satisfactory agreement with theoretical calculations of cyclotron masses at the Fermi level in the context of the simplified Kane model.     

Electron microscopy of GaAs-based structures with InAs and As quantum dots separated by an AlAs barrier

Electron microscopy studies of GaAs-based structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy and containing arrays of semiconductor InAs quantum dots and metal As quantum dots are performed. The array of InAs quantum dots is formed by the Stranski-Krastanov mechanism and consists of vertically coupled pairs of quantum dots separated by a GaAs spacer 10 nm thick. To separate the arrays of semiconductor and metal quantum dots and to prevent diffusion-induced mixing, the array of InAs quantum dots is overgrown with an AlAs barrier layer 5 or 10 nm thick, after which a GaAs layer is grown at a comparatively low temperature (180°C). The array of As quantum dots is formed in an As-enriched layer of the low-temperature GaAs by means of post-growth annealing at 400–760°C for 15 min. It is established that the AlAs barrier layer has a surface profile corresponding to that of a subbarrier layer with InAs quantum dots. The presence of such a profile causes the formation of V-shaped structural defects upon subsequent overgrowth with the GaAs layer. Besides, it was obtained that AlAs layer is thinned over the InAs quantum dots tops. It is shown that the AlAs barrier layer in the regions between the InAs quantum dots effectively prevents the starting diffusion of excess As at annealing temperatures up to 600°C. However, the concentration of mechanical stresses and the reduced thickness of the AlAs barrier layer near the tops of the InAs quantum dots lead to local barrier breakthroughs and the diffusion of As quantum dots into the region of coupled pairs of InAs quantum dots at higher annealing temperatures.     

Photoelectric spectroscopy of InAs/GaAs quantum dot heterostructures in a semiconductor/electrolyte system

The photovoltaic effect in the semiconductor/electrolyte junction is an effective method for investigation of the energy spectrum of InAs/GaAs heterostructures with self-assembled quantum dots. An important advantage of this method is its high sensitivity. This makes it possible to obtain photoelectric spectra from quantum dots with high barriers for the electron and hole emission from quantum dots into the matrix even if the surface density of the dots is low (～10⁹ cm^?2). In a strong transverse electric field, broadening of the lines of optical transitions and emission of electrons and holes from quantum dots into the matrix directly from the excited states are observed. The effect of the photovoltage sign reversal was detected for a sufficiently high positive bias across the barrier within the semiconductor. This effect is related to the formation of a positive charge at the interface between the cap layer and electrolyte and of the negative charge on impurities and defects in the quantum dot layer.     

Electrical properties of InAs irradiated with protons

The results of studying the electrical properties of InAs irradiated with 5-MeV H⁺ ions at a dose of 2×10¹⁶ cm^?2 are reported. It is shown that, independently of the doping level and the conductivity type of the as-grown InAs, InAs always has the n⁺-type conductivity after irradiation (n≈(2–3)×10¹⁸ cm^?3). The phenomenon of pinning of the Fermi level in the irradiated material is discussed. The thermal stability of radiation damage in InAs subjected to postirradiation annealing at temperatures as high as 800°C was studied.     

Tuning of electronic states in self-assembled InAs quantum dots using an ion implantation technique

We report the tunability of up to 150 meV of the ground state transition of self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs) using Mn ion implantation and subsequent annealing. Because of the exciton localization in the quantum dots, the photoluminescence efficiency (T=12K) of the quantum dot transition remains at 80% of its original value after implantation with a Mn dose of 1×10¹³ cm⁻²ions. Strong luminescence still remains at room temperature. At a high implantation dose (1×10¹⁵ cm⁻²) and rapid thermal annealing (700°C for 60s) about 25% of the QD luminescence intensity is recovered at T=12K.     

Ge/Si photodiodes with embedded arrays of Ge quantum dots forthe near infrared (1.3–1.5 µm) region

A method has been devised for MBE fabrication of p-i-n photodiodes for the spectral range of 1.3–1.5 µm, based on multilayer Ge/Si heterostructures with Ge quantum dots (QDs) on a Si substrate. The sheet density of QDs is 1.2×10¹² cm^?2, and their lateral size is ～8 nm. The lowest room-temperature dark current reported hitherto for Ge/Si photodetectors is achieved (2×10^?5 A/cm² at 1 V reverse bias). A quantum efficiency of 3% at 1.3 µm wavelength is obtained.     

基于石墨烯/铟砷量子点/砷化镓异质结新型光电探测器

研究了一种石墨烯/铟砷量子点/砷化镓界面形成的异质结探测器的暗电流特性以及光电响应性质.虽然石墨烯具有很高的电子迁移率,但受限于较低的光子吸收率,使其在光电探测领域的应用受到了限制.而半导体量子点具有量子效率高,光吸收能力强等独特优点.于是利用石墨烯-砷化铟量子点-砷化镓异质结结构制备了一种新型光电探测器.并对该探测器的响应率、I-V特性曲线、暗电流特性、探测率、开关比等关键性能进行了研究.其在637 nm入射光情况下的响应率、探测率以及开关比可分别达到为17. 0 m A/W、2. 3×10~(10)cm Hz~(1/2)W~(-1)和1×10~3.而当入射光为近红外波段的940纳米时,响应率进一步增加到了207 m A/W.同时,还证实了该器件的暗电流、肖特基势垒高度和理想因子对温度的都具有较高的依赖性都较强.     

Type II Superlattice Infrared Detector Technology at SCD

Semi-Conductor Devices’ long-wave infrared 640?×?512/15-μm pitch type II superlattice detector is based on an XBp design with an InAs/GaSb absorbing layer and an InAs/AlSb barrier layer. The barrier architecture ensures a low, diffusion-limited, dark current and allows stable passivation to all fabrication steps. It is shown that the dark current is about 10 times the Rule 07 value and corresponds to a minority carrier lifetime of about 10 ns, while the quantum efficiency can approach within 10% of the HgCdTe value for realistic detector parameters. Detectors are now being manufactured with a reasonable yield for an operability above 99.5%, and a stable and reproducible noise equivalent temperature difference of <?15 mK when operated at 30 Hz, F/2.7 and 77 K.     

Microdisk Injection Lasers for the 1.27-μm Spectral Range

Microdisk injection lasers on GaAs substrates, with a minimum diameter of 15 μm and an active region based on InAs/InGaAs quantum dots, are fabricated. The lasers operate in the continuous-wave mode at room temperature without external cooling. The lasing wavelength is around 1.27 μm at a minimum threshold current of 1.6 mA. The specific thermal resistance is estimated to be 5 × 10–3 °C cm²/W.